State of My Head
by luvuni
Summary: An accident has occurred in San Jose, and it is up to the Bonaventure Hospital to take care of the large mass of child patients. How will Shaun cope when he realizes that he knows one of the victims in the accident? Will he be able to handle the stress, or will his limitations cause him to break down under the pressure? Trigger warnings in later chapter. Shaun x Leah
1. Prologue: Hell is Rising

**Author's Note: Hi guys! It's been a long time since I've wrote anything, but the Good Doctor is my newest passion. I absolutely love Shaun Murphy, and I will do my best to portray his amazing character as well as all of the others. Please do not flame at me, for anything. I do my best with getting characters accurate, though there may be moments where they are OOC. Also, there may be trigger warnings that pop up later. It is a medical show, so of course there will be injuries, blood, etc.**

 **I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Prologue: Hell is Rising**

It was a wonderful quiet day at the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. All the inpatients were doing well, and for once there was not a single soul in the surgery room. The only ER patients was a drunk who had bumped his head, a ten-year-old boy who had sprained his ankle playing soccer, and a woman with the flu wanting a check up. Everyone was in a good mood as they strolled the halls, nurses cleaning up here and there, and checking in on their patients. The doctors made their rounds, peeking in to see how their inpatients were doing, but were otherwise just roaming around.

In the cafeteria, at a small round table sat Claire, Jared, and Shaun. The three of them were laughing and enjoying their sandwhiches for lunch. Bright sunlight shone through the massive glass windows, casting a warm halo of light on the trio. They were chatting about something embarrassing Jared had done that day, and even Shaun was cracking up with laughter on this pleasant day.

Off to the offices, Neil Melendez was sitting having coffee with his bride-to-be Jessica Preston. For once the two of them were able to sit peacefully and chat about other things than work. On the desk between them, lay their two hands, fingers laced together as they spoke with smiles on their faces.

Of course, it is usually on days such as these that the most terrible tragedies can occur.

A few miles away, at a major intersection in a busy part of the city, a man was driving angrily trying to get to work on time after being held up during lunch. The light in front of him had turned yellow, and then red. Still, his foot floored the gas pedal, not paying any attention to the cars driving ahead of him through the intersection from the left. It was not until it was too late, and he saw the small black car that he was going to t-bone. Slamming his foot on the break, he yanked his wheel to try to avoid the car, but he wasn't going to make it. There was just enough time for fear to set into the guy when he smashed into the passenger side of the oncoming car. The last thing he saw was the airbag exploding in his face.

The black car was knocked sideways hard, and rolled once into oncoming traffic. As some sick twist of fate would have it, the oncoming vehicle was a school bus carrying a load of children coming back from a field trip. The bus driver panicked, seeing the small black car roll into its path, and pressed the break while jerking the wheel to the right, unknowingly pulling the whole bus sideways into a ditch, where it slammed hard onto its side. The sound of silence was all that could be heard before the screaming began. Everywhere, cars pulled over and people piled out.

"There's kids in there! Get them out!" a woman screamed as she leapt out of her old sedan. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, dialing 911. "Please! There was an accident at the intersection between 50th and Roger's Avenue, right beside the gas station." Her voice faded off into the shouts of terror filled citizens as people began to yank the doors open on the bus and two cars. Honestly, it was truly amazing how quickly people jumped into action.

From the first car, two men pulled out the burly man who caused this all and lay him a few feet from his vehicle. Several other people began to pull out a young brown haired woman from the car that had been t-boned. Another sound caught their attention as they lay her down on the asphalt. A small kitten was in the back seat, sitting in a basket and buckled into the car. One of the women who helped pull the girl out reached in and grabbed the kitten, before placing it in the jacket of the unconcious woman, just as sirens began to approach.

The rest of the onlookers were helping to unload the children, all with varying injuries. EMT's pulled up in several ambulances, as well as a few police cars that followed behind. It was going to be one hell of a morning.


	2. Escort to Bonaventure

Chapter 1: Escort to Bonaventure

Leah's head was pounding. Voices attacked her ears from all sides, though they could have been speaking Japanese for all that she understood. Blinking rapidly, bright lights attacked her eyes as she scanned her surroundings with glazed over eyes. There were two people on either side of her, fusing with something on her head and neck. Beyond the sound of the two talking, this incessant beeping kept going off in her ears, every second or two like a heartbeat.

Things started to get a little clearer, just as her body was wracked with pain. The worst was in the left side of her skull, followed by all the way down her neck and finishing off in her left arm. A groan escaped her mouth as she squinted against the pain. "Where... where am I?" she croaked out hoarsely. There was a mask over her face, presumably giving her oxygen.

"You are alright," a woman's voice said from her side. "You are in an ambulance heading to the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. You were in a car crash, and sustained a head and neck injury, and your left arm appears to be broken."

It took a minute for that all to sink in. Car accident? Vaguely she could remember driving home from the shelter. That thought hit her hard. "The kitten? Where is the kitten that was in my car?"

"Right here, safe and sound," the woman said as she held up the small brown and white kitten where Leah could see it. She placed it in the crook of Leah's neck, beside the brace she was wearing, where the small thing purred and curled up in a ball. "We'll be at the hospital shortly, all the doctors are waiting."

"Can you phone and ask that I have Dr. Shaun Murphy please?" she asked, trying to ignore them as they gave her a shot of painkiller. "He's the only doctor I will see." The two EMTs looked at her for a moment, the woman looking like she was going to offer a retort before Leah spoke up again.

"Please? This kitten is for him. It's his birthday," she added. The EMTs turned to each other for a moment before they nodded and the man picked up his cellphone and dialed the hospital.

"Hello, this is Cain Rogers, EMT in Ambulance #27 heading back from the crash site on 50th. We're carrying a patient named Leah with a head and neck injury, along with a broken arm," he said into the line. "Please arrange that Dr. Shaun Murphy be the one to see to her when we arrive. Thank you."

The man clicked off his phone and tucked it back into his breast pocket. Leah graced him with a smile. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."

"Not a problem," Cain said, returning the smile. "Now, how's your pain levels?"

"Probably a 6 on a 1-10 scale, but I can feel the painkiller shot starting to numb it a bit."

They asked her questions for the remainder of the ride, and made sure to tell her how lucky she was to come away as unscathed as she was. As the ambulance slowed and pulled up next to the hospital, the two EMTs jumped to their feet and threw open the doors, and removed her gurney from the back. They pushed her through the glass doors of the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital and into the ER, where she was met with the sight and sound of screaming, injured children. What on earth had happened, she wondered to herself.

Her eyes roamed around, trying not to pay to much attention to the injuries on the young kids, as she looked for Shaun. When her eyes finally met his, she sagged in relief. The tall autistic neighbor of hers was walking over confidently to her, with much more focus than she'd ever seen of him. His work persona was definitely a sight to behold, as he strode up to her with a short kind-looking woman beside him. Jealousy spiked in her at the sight of the pretty doctor, but she pushed it back down, knowing that this really wasn't the time.

"Leah," Shaun said as he walked up beside her. Up close she could tell that he was actually quite nervous, and her heart fluttered when she realized that he was worried. His skin looked whiter than usual, and he clasped the clipboard in his hand tightly.

"Hi Shaun," she chuckled, trying not to wince as it jostled her sore neck. "Not the way I wanted to tell you, but Happy Birthday. I hope you like your gift." Her eyes darted to the bundle beside her neck, who shot its little head up to look at the two doctors staring down. The kitten let out a quiet meow before it let out an adorable little yawn.

Shaun looked at her with a blank expression, for once maintaining perfect eye contact. His knuckles were pure white as his fingers tightly clenched the clipboard. The clipboard gave under the intense pressure, resulting in a loud snap that caused the young doctor and Leah to jump. "Shaun..." the other doctor said to him softly.

Shaun jolted out of his thoughts, and swiftly ran the other direction, out of the ER. Dr. Glassman, who had been watching the whole scene ran out after him.

Leah sighed softly, and tried not to let herself tear up. "I don't know why, but I always seem to do wrong by him." The kitten curled up against her cheek, but it did little to comfort her aching heart. Why did Shaun always seem upset by her actions?

The young doctor, who wore a nametag that said Dr. Claire Brown, placed a warm hand on her shoulder, being mindful of her injuries. "He was worried about you," she said softly. "When he got notified by the nurses that you were coming with the others from the accident, it took us right up until you got here to get him to calm down. Right now, he is just overwhelmed, but Dr. Glassman will help him calm back down."

"Thanks," Leah muttered. "You guys seem close."

Claire laughed at that. "He's a really nice guy, and I love having him as my friend, but he asks me so many questions about how to interact with you. I can tell you like him a lot, and I guarantee that he feels the same way for you. He just has his... limitations, that prevent him from communicating his emotions."

"That'd be a nice dream," Leah said, not believing the doctor one bit.

The doctor sighed and shook her head. "Come on, let's get you x-rayed."


	3. Deciphering Shaun

**Chapter 2: Deciphering Shaun**

Several hours later, Leah was sitting up in a hospital bed petting the kitten as Dr. Brown was finishing up applying the cast to her broken left forearm. The scans had come back, she had suffered whiplash and had a concussion. They were going to keep her here overnight for surveillance, but it was just precautionary. Surprisingly, they had let her keep the kitten when everyone found out it was a gift for Shaun's birthday. So, it was her only comfort right now, as she still had yet to see her favorite doctor.

"There," Dr. Brown said as the cast was finished. "All done. Now, I'm going to go see if I can find Dr. Murphy or Dr. Glassman. Then I'll come back when I have information."

"Thanks," Leah said, sadness in her voice. Shaun didn't even care enough to come see her at all, so why should she worry about where he'd gone off too? Claire looked at her sadly before turning and leaving the room.

Stroking the kitten gently, Lean curled up against the pillows and allowed one lone tear to slip down her cheek. It felt like she'd been rejected, and while she knew she shouldn't feel that way, she couldn't help it. Why did Shaun react that way? It didn't make sense to her. Thoughts roamed through her head as she stared at the wall in front of her. It wasn't until there was a knock at the door that she looked up.

"Hello Leah," Dr. Glassman said from the doorway, Clair right beside him. "Mind if we come in?"

"No, not at all," she said, sitting up slowly as the two came and sat on the bench beside the bed. "How's Shaun? Is he mad at me?"

"What?" the old doctor asked. "No, Shaun is not mad at you. You have misunderstood his actions, which is understandable."

"Then why did he act that way?" she asked quietly.

"As you are aware, Shaun lost his brother when he was a teenager, and since then he has not allowed anyone into his life enough to care for them. That was until he started working here, and grew close with Dr. Brown, Dr. Kalu, and even Dr. Melendez. He also has grown close to you, in an even more special way than his co-workers. Shaun was reminded today that the people he loves are mortal, and his brain immediately linked Steve's death with your accident here today. He cannot cope with losing people close to him, which is why he refuses to allow people into his heart. Yet you managed to nestle yourself in there, and it scares him that you could have died today, and there is nothing he could have done to prevent it."

"I didn't realize," Leah murmured. "I still don't think he likes me as much as everyone else seems to believe, but I am sorry that I put him through all this. How is he doing right now?"

Dr. Glassman sighed. "He had a break down earlier, and he is in the cafeteria cooling off right now. This has all been a bit much for him. He's really worried about you and he said he wanted to come see you but he doesn't want you to see him freak out in front of you. I understand, as it can be scary to those who have never witnessed it before."

"There is nothing he could do to scare me away," Leah said, looking the old doctor in the eyes. "I know he's got a personal problem, but we all have problems. His is just unique to him, and I understand that sometimes things can overwhelm him."

"That is music to this old man's ears. I hope you and Shaun work out together. You'll be so good for him."

An uneven, hesitant knock sounded at the door, and the three looked at each other. "Come in," Leah called. Dr. Glassman stood with Dr. Brown, as the door opened to reveal a much calmer looking Shaun.

"We'll give you two some privacy," Claire said as she and the old doctor left the room, closing the door behind them.

"I am sorry I scared you Shaun," Leah said softly.

Shaun shook his head, looking at the wall over her shoulder. A disbelieving, grin appeared on his face, but she knew it wasn't a happy smile. "You should not be sorry. I reacted poorly. I am sorry for leaving you. How are you feeling?

"I'm alright now, just a little sore." Reaching up with her good hand, she picked up the kitten in her lap and held it out to Shaun. "Little guy's gonna need a name.

Shaun looked at the small bundle of fur, and gave a small smile. "He survived and you survived. His name should be Miracle." Reaching out, he tentatively took the kitten and held it close to his chest, petting it gently.

"Miracle," she pondered. "I love it. Happy birthday Shaun."

"How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Dr. Glassman told me, and I'm glad he did, because I was going to get you one of those kittens anyways. This just made it so much better," she shook her head as she let out a chuckle. A sudden wave of dizziness slammed into her as she shook her head, and she immediately put her hand to her face as the nausea hit her.

Shaun deposited the kitten on the bed, and grabbed her shoulders instantly. "Leah? What's wrong?"

"Dizzy. I... I'm going to be sick," she choked out, hand over her mouth. As soon as the words passed her lips, Shaun shoved a waste bucket under her chin right as she lost all the contents of her stomach.

As she gagged into the bucket, she noticed that Shaun was rubbing her back, soothing her as her breakfast reappeared. It took a minute for her stomach to empty, before she able to sit back and wipe her mouth with a tissue Shaun handed her. She thanked him as he put down the waste bucket.

"Concussions suck," Leah said sourly. Her mouth tasted foul with the acidic fluid that had just passed her lips. She grimaced as she ran her tongue over her teeth.

"All injuries suck, but it is normal to vomit after a concussion." Shaun responded, grabbing her file from the counter and flipping through it. "I will stay here tonight to observe you for any changes."

"Oh, Shaun you don't need to do that," Leah said shocked. She couldn't believe he would offer to do that. "You've had a long day already. Go home and get some rest, I'll be alright."

"No. I am staying here," he said firmly, and she could tell by his disposition that he was not going to sway on that decision.

"In that case," Leah said with a small smile. "Would you go on a date with me, Shaun Murphy, when I get released from the hospital?"


	4. Sweet Hearts

**Author's Note: Hope you guys are liking it so far. Sorry for the extremely short chapters, and this one is going to be even shorter. BUT! It is loaded with fluff. Enjoy. :)**

 **Chapter 3: Sweet Hearts**

Shaun buffered for a minute or two, hands clenching together in front of him as his eyes roamed around. It wasn't unknown that he had a hard time, and Leah automatically assumed that it was a hard question for him to answer. This time though, she was not going to reword it into a statement. She was going to wait for an answer, no matter how long it took him.

Thankfully it was no longer than a minute longer before he nodded his head up and down. "Yes, I will go on a date with you," he said, the corners of his mouth tilting up, causing his cute little dimples to appear for a short moment. Then he had to wreck the cute moment by adding: "when you don't stink like vomit."

Blushing bright red, she managed a chuckle at that and pulled the sheets off of her. Immediately, Shaun was next to her. "Where are you going? Did I offend you?"

"No, no," she assured. "I'd like to go brush my teeth and use the bathroom. You were right, my breath is so bad right now I can taste it." Shaun nodded and gingerly supported the elbow of her good arm and helped her slowly move to the bathroom. Her muscles had all seized up while sitting in that bed, and now she could really feel how sore she was. But hey, she was lucky to even be alive at this point, so she shouldn't grumble about any soreness.

Once in the bathroom, she nodded her thanks to Shaun and shut the door behind her. Turning to look in the mirror, she stepped back when her eyes caught her reflection. A freshly sutured cut lined her forehead from just above her left temple and ended just beside her ear. Other small nicks and cuts marred up her left cheek and the left side of her neck. Dark purple bruising colored around all the cuts, giving her a haunted appearance. Honestly, she thought to herself, she looked hideous.

Sighing, she avoided looking at herself again as she quickly relieved herself and brushed her teeth. Feeling slightly fresher than she had, she opened the door again, revealing Shaun standing directly outside waiting. Unable to make eye contact this time, she accepted his help getting back into the bed and stared down at her hands once seated. She was surprised he was able to keep such a calm, regular demeanor with her face looking so ugly.

"What happened? You are suddenly not happy anymore?" Shaun said, breaking the awkward silence that lay between them.

Looking at her hands, she shrugged slightly. "Guess my reflection startled me, that's all. I look really bad, and I'm surprised you still said yes to go on a date with me, since I look like this."

Shaun's head tilted to the side at this. "You want to go on a date with someone who has autism, yet you think it is inappropriate for someone to want to go on a date with you because you've got injuries on your face?" He sounded sincerely perplexed at this.

"Yeah, I guess so," she muttered. "You deserve someone pretty Shaun, and I don't know if these will heal completely, so they may leave gross scars."

"Only the one with sutures will scar, and it will be small. You are very pretty, a scar will not change that."

"Oh Shaun," she said, a stupid grin spreading on her face. She indicated with her finger for him to come closer, and he obeyed. Lifting herself up slightly on her good arm, she placed a quick kiss on his cheek before sitting back down. "Thank you for being so sweet."

A real smile lit up Shaun's face as he leaned back to stand upright. His dimples made him look absolutely adorable, and Leah made it her life's goal to try to put that smile on his face as many times as she could. She smiled back at him, and was pleased to see that he was maintaining steady eye contact.

"Dr. Murphy," a male voice came for the pager. "Please come to OR 2 right away."

"I will be back later," Shaun said, disappointment obvious in his tone for having to leave. As he was about to turn to head out the door, he froze and clasped his hands together. Before Leah could blink, he leaned down and placed a swift kiss on her cheek before bolting away.

"See you later Shaun!" she called out, just before the door closed. She couldn't help but laugh at how sweet and innocent he was. Now she was looking forward to their first date.

xxx

Dr. Melendez was getting his scrubs on, while Dr. Glassman spoke to him about how some of the children were doing. The injuries varied from kid to kid, but the one they were about to operate on was in the most danger. An eight year old girl had gotten glass shards embedded in her, and some had gone deep enough to rupture her spleen, so they were going to have to get in and remove it. There was some internal bleeding as well, so this was going to require some digging around to find all the damage.

As Melendez finished pulling on his mask, he almost jumped when Shaun all but skipped into the room beside Dr. Glassman. "Dr. Murphy, we've got a spleen to be removed," Melendez said. "Suit up and let's get in there. The teams all ready."

Shaun nodded and grabbed the gear from the counter top. "Leah and I are going on a date."

Dr. Glassman, who had been reaching over to grab a box of gloves from the cupboard lurched, dropping the box to the floor with a soft thud. Turning, he looked at Shaun with wide eyes. "Really? That's great Shaun."

"Look at Shaun, growing up," Dr. Melendez said with a chuckle, but there was an honest smile on his face. He was happy for the younger doctor.

"She kissed my cheek," he said. The two other doctors stared at him. Shaun had a sort of radiant happiness about him that neither of them had ever seen. In fact, Dr. Glassman had never seen Shaun this happy, not even when the boy had officially recieved his Ph. D.

"Come on loverboy," Melendez nodded towards the operating room. "We've got a spleen to remove."

"Okay," Shaun said, following the two doctors into the OR.


	5. Complications

**Chapter 4: Complications**

Leah awoke from her nap a few hours later. She began to think about the road accident, trying to recall the whole event. She couldn't remember what had happened, she just knew that there had been another car and a school bus involved. The image of all the injured kids she'd passed on the way inside the hosptial ran through her mind. Did she cause the accident? Did she do something that had injured all those children? She was sure someone would have told her if that was the case, but that nagging devil on her shoulder kept whispering in her ear, telling her that maybe she had caused the accident, putting all of those kids in danger.

Standing up from the bed, she unplugged herself from the monitors and picked the kitten up, hugging it close to her chest. Taking one step, she winced at the muscle pain. God was she ever sore. Inhaling sharply, she told herself to toughen up and continued to walk out of the room and down the hall to find someone who could tell her about what had happened at the crash site.

Surprisingly the halls were relatively empty for early evening, but Leah assumed all the nurses and doctors were with the new patients or in surgery. Sighing, she walked through the halls and back down to the ER, hoping that someone would be at the main counter. As she slowly limped down, she walked past a room where she could hear a little girl crying softly. Leah went to keep walking, but decided against it, and turned to knock on the open door.

In the middle of the room, on the hospital bed was a small blonde girl, no older than 8, all by herself. She had a few cuts and bumps on her face and arms, which lay overtop the white hosptial bed sheets. The girl's face was all red and puffy around the eyes from crying. She'd obviously been weeping for a while. "Uh, hi there. My name is Leah," she said quietly as she entered the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm Sophie. My- My twin sister got hurt," the girl sobbed, rubbing at her runny nose with the back of her hand. "They told me she's getting surgery. I want my sister."

"Do you like kittens Sofie?" Leah asked, holding out the kitten to the kid. Sofie nodded, and took the small ball of fur from Leah's hands gently.

Flinching at the soreness in her limbs, Leah pulled up the stool and sat down beside the girl. "You guys were on the bus?" The kid nodded. Reaching over, Leah grabbed the tissure box and held it out to the girl, who plucked one thankfully and blew her nose. "Do you know what caused the bus to crash?"

"The nurse told us that a man hit a lady's car, and it rolled in front of us," the girl said, looking down at the kitten in her hands with wide green eyes. "The bus driver turned to avoid it, but we slid down into the ditch."

A flash memory of a car coming at her from the side shot in her mind, as she jolted in the chair. She never caused the accident. She had been hit by someone else's vehicle, and it had been like a domino effect. "Is everyone alright?"

"Lots of kids got hurt, but my sister got hurt the worst. She got hit by glass."

"You know," Leah said with a small grin, "my best friend got called to the operating room, and I'll bet you anything that he is one of the assigned surgeons working on her. He is the best surgeon in this whole hospital, so your sister is going to be just fine."

"Really?" the girl asked with genuine hope in her voice.

"Yup," Leah said with a wink. "Now, I need to get back to my room before they notice I'm missing. See you later Sophie." Taking the kitten back into her hands, Leah waved and left the room, starting the walk back to her room.

A part of her wanted to confront the man who had hit her. She had been driving off at a green light, so that means that the man had run a red light, causing all of this crap. That man deserved his ass to be handed to him on a plate, though she assumed he probably did receive that when he t-boned her. Not that she would ever wish injury on someone else, but he did cause a lot of children to get injured. Thankfully no one was killed.

She did feel bad that it was because of her car rolling into the oncoming traffic that caused the bus to veer off the road, but she knew that had that bus hit her head on, it would have killed her, and more than likely still have injured the driver and at least some of the kids. Sighing, she knew that she shouldn't think to technically about any of this. What had happened already happened, and no amount of thinking could change that now.

A wave of dizziness struck her again, her head beginning to feel light as the walls and floor seemed to shutter and move in front of her. Groaning, she stopped and shut her eyes, trying to block it out. Still feeling like she was moving, she put her back to the wall. Her head began to pound, and she noticed an increased pressure feeling in her skull.

"Shaun," she called out into the empty hall. "Anybody."

A nurse that had been in a room a few doors down heard the call and darted out. "Oh m'am! What's wrong?"

"Can you call Dr. Murphy?" Leah asked, trying her best to keep her stomach calm.

The nurse darted over to a phone behind a desk and phoned up to the OR. "This is Nurse Fryday. I need Dr. Murphy down here right now. Is he out of surgery?"

A moment passed before she began speaking again. "Great. Send him now." Then she placed the phone back on the jack.

"Thank you," Leah said, clenching her eyes shut. "God my head is killing me."

"Do you think you can make it back to your room?" the nurse asked, holding out her hand to help Leah up.

Looking at the hand, Leah groaned. "No way. Something - something is wrong. I've had concussions before, but this one is different."

The sounds of footsteps running alerted their attention, and the two looked over to see Dr. Murphy and Dr. Melendez heading towards them. "Why did you leave your room?" Shaun asked.

"I wanted to know who caused the accident," Leah said, holding her head in her good hand, the kitten wedged between her cast arm and her chest. "I needed to know that I didn't cause it, but I got dizzy and now my head is pounding. There's so much pressure."

Shaun stared at the girl in front of him, already injured so much. His brain processed what she said, and knew what needed to be done, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. Thank god for Dr. Melendez, who jumped in when he saw the boy beside him freeze. "You need an MRI, right now. Nurse Fryday, could you grab us a gurney please."

The nurse darted away, returning in seconds with a hospital bed on wheels. Dr. Melendez bent down to help Leah up, when Shaun intercepted. "I will help her," he said, not even waiting for a response as he bent over and put a arm under her knees and one supporting her back. Before she could argue, he displayed an unbelievable amount of strength as he swooped her up and gently deposited her on the bed. Even Melendez looked shocked that such a lean body could lift her, not that she was overly heavy anyways.

The two doctors wheeled her over to the MRI room immediately, and she was prepared and all but thrown into the scan machines. Within twenty minutes she was out, and the doctors were looking at her scans. "That is not good," Shaun said, obvious distaste on his face as he looked at the scan. "She has a subdural hematoma, caused by the concussion.

"We'll have to operate immediately," Dr. Melendez said, looking at Leah's frightened face. "It's a simple procedure, but we need to do it right away. There's a build up of blood outside your brain, and it needs to be drained. It will be a small incision, recovery time will only take a couple weeks."

Leah's face went even paler. "Shaun?" she asked, looking for support or some sign that everything will be alright. "You will do the surgery, right?"

"I'll do the surgery," Dr. Melendez said, looking between the two. "I don't want to put him in a hard situation, and this is about as hard as things can get emotion wise for a surgeon."

Shaun buffered for a moment, but looked like he wanted to say something so the two watched him while he leaned forward and back and paced a few step. Finally he clasped his hands together. "I will preform the surgery," he stated. "Prepare the OR."

Reaching up, Leah grasped Shaun's hand in hers, and leaned her head back against the bed. A few tears spilled over her cheeks, only to be wiped away by Shaun's cool but gentle fingers. "It will be ok," he said. "The surgery is simple. You will be fine."

"Thank you Shaun," she said, before she was wheeled away by the nurse to get ready for surgery.


	6. Into the Brain

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Really short chapter again, so sorry guys. Just haven't had the time to sit and write, but I promise I'll have more chapters here quick. Especially after tomorrow's winter finale which looks like it might be traumatic. ;) I don't know much about doctoring wounds on humans, surgeries, or any of that stuff, so please ignore my mistakes if anything is unrealistic. It is just a story after all. :P**

 **Chapter 5: Into the Brain**

Leah lay on the hospital bed in the OR, staring up into the faces of several doctors and nurses, but her eyes remained locked on that of her neighbor, Dr. Shaun Murphy. Her insides were twisting and turning, and she felt vaguely like she was going to vomit as she was hooked up to all the monitors and machines. Truth be told, she had always hated hospitals; they scared the crap out of her. Her hand tingled irritatingly with the IV that had been inserted, and she wished for nothing more than to sit up healthy and rip it out and call this all off.

Yet, here she was, about to get part of her skull taken off to drain a hematoma on the outer layer of her brain. The doctors all tried to still remind her how lucky she was that the injury was in an easily accessable area, and would be quick and simple to remove. Recovery time was quick, and she would get to go home in a little over a week if things went exceedingly well. That did nothing to ease her fears of getting knocked unconcious and have her head sawed open. Still, the one thing she was grateful for was that the head doctors had listed to her request that Shaun be the one to perform the surgery. While she knew it would be hard for him, there was no one she trusted more with her health.

"How are you feeling?" a nurse asked, as she finished plugging her up to the monitors.

"Nervous," Leah chuckled. "I just want this over with." Nodding, the administered the anesthetic to her, and the last thing she saw was Shaun's handsome face before darkness took her.

XXX

The sounds of a beeping monitor met Leah's ear, pulsating with the throbbing of a massive migraine that seemed to have taken root in the left side of her skull. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut, as if she couldn't find the connection between her brain and her eyelids in order to open them. Light snoring could be heard beside her. "She still asleep?" a male voice asked from somewhere in the room.

"Yes," a woman responded. "She's been awake on and off, but she's been really disoriented, which is all normal. Shaun has hardly left her side since she got out of the surgery, he's been taking such good care of her."

"How long has it been since she was moved in here, Dr. Brown?" a third voice asked, that sounded suspiciously like Dr. Glassman.

"It's been almost a week now, and we've started to rein back her drug dosages, so she should wake up more coherent soon," Dr. Brown responded. "Shaun has been religious about cleaning up the incision site and we've already had him remove the staples because of how well the site is healing. A few of the nurses were joking that he should take care of all the brain surgery patients, because of how quickly Leah is bouncing back."

"Poor guy is exhausted though," Dr. Glassman responded. "It does my heart good to see him care so much for another person. After the loss of his brother, it really worried me that he had closed himself off to all other people. I am so grateful that she'll pull through just fine, not just for her sake but also for Shaun's. He would have been destroyed."

Leah's heart sang at the talk of Shaun being with her. She felt bad that he was working himself into exhaustion, but she could make up for it later. As for right now, her skull was still pounding and she could hear the doctors walking away, so she allowed her mind to settle down and lull itself back to sleep.


	7. Awake and Walking

**Chapter 6: Awake and Walking**

The next time Leah woke up, it was to a pleasant sensation of having someone play with her hair. Cool fingers were stroking it, running from the root all the way to the ends. It acted to null the slight headache she had on the left side of her skull, around the incision site. Even with her eyes shut, she could still feel that she was plugged into all the machines, and her casted arm lay elevated on top of a pillow. Peeling open her eyes felt like trying to separate magnets; they just wanted to slam back together again. As she blinked into the bright flourescent lights overhead, she turned her head slightly so she wasn't staring right up into them.

The sound of someone shifting beside her caught her attention, and her heart leapt as she watched Shaun leaning back on his chair next to her. Her breath caught as her eyes looked him over. Exhaustion was the first thing she noticed, in the way his shoulders were slumped, the paper-white complexion of his skin, which contrasted harshly against the dark bags that lie under his stunning blue eyes. As his eyes locked on hers briefly, before he looked up above her head at the monitors, she saw a small smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

"You're finally awake," Shaun said, a happy tone leaking into his voice. His hands clasped in front of him as his eyes roamed around. "How is your pain?"

Leah smiled softly at him. "It's not too bad," she said, her voice a little raspy from lack of use. "Did everything go well in surgery?"

"Yes, everything went well," Shaun said, as he reached up behind her head and undid the tubes that went uncomfortably into her nose. Gently he removed it from her face, and she looked at him gratefully. "I've never done a surgery like that before, and it was a great experience. Thank you for letting me perform it."

A laugh escaped her, though it quickly turned into a small cough. Her throat was excessively dry. "Don't thank me. I need to thank you, for doing such a good job and saving my life. It means a lot to me Shaun Murphy."

Shaun smiled at her, and was able to maintain eye contact with her for a few moments, before his eyes darted away. "You're welcome."

"Is it possible I could get up and walk around?" Her limbs were achy and stiff from lack of use, and she really wanted to move around.

Shaun leaned back and looked around before eventually nodding. "Okay." Reaching over her, he removed the IV carefully, knowing that she wasn't going to need it anymore. She winced as he slid it out, and stared pitifully down at her bruised hand. Damn it she hated hospitals. The monitor wires were removed and put away, and all the machines were shut off.

Swinging her legs over the side of the hospital bed, she pulled back the white sheet and stretched her toes out. The first thing she noticed, was that she desperately needed a shave as she looked at her legs, peeking out of the knee length hospital gown. The second thing was that her knees didn't usually look so bony. "I've lost a lot of weight," she commented.

"Yes, that is normal because you were on IV since the surgery," Shaun said, packing away all of the equipment. He turned around after shutting the cupboard and walked up next to her. "It won't take very long to gain it back."

A sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed the bedpost and stood up. Her legs trembled, and for a second she thought she was going to hit the ground when cool hands grasped her arms to help steady her. "You're going to be weak for a while, after not moving for so long. We will take things slow. Where would you like to walk to? I will help you there."

He held out his elbow to her, and she grasped it gently with her uninjured arm, though she still winced when the IV entry spot rubbed against his side. She knew he didn't like to be grabbed, so she kept her touch gentle, and willed her legs to be stable enough to move her around. "Thank you," she said, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. She was rewarded with a crimson blush that spread on his pale cheeks, and a smile that flashed quickly. "Can we go to the cafeteria?"

Nodding a few times more than necessary, Shaun slowly proceeded forward, lightly tugging Leah along next to him. Taking slow, tentative steps, she allowed herself to be led out of the room and into the brightly lit hallway. "You are on shift right now, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Shaun nodded. "But you are my only patient. Dr. Melendez said I only had to look after you since the surgery."

"That was nice of him. I hope you don't mind being stuck with me."

"I would like to be stuck with you more." Leah laughed at that, and felt herself blush. "You are very pretty when you blush."

Her cheeks got more red at that, and she ducked her head a little embarrassed. Before she could mumble out something that might humiliate herself, they walked through the doors of the cafeteria. Shaun led her over to a table by the window and pulled the chair out for her. "Would you like something to eat?"

Leah sat down, grateful to be off of her legs. Walking felt good, but she was had gotten exhausted quickly. "Umm," she drawled, thinking for a moment. "A blueberry muffin and some water, please?"

"I'll be right back," Shaun said as he nodded to himself, heading off towards the counter. She watched him go, admiring his tall frame from behind with a small smile.

"I know that look," a male voice said beside her, startling her a bit. Looking up, she grinned as she saw Dr. Glassman next to her.

"Hi Dr. Glassman," she said happily. "There was no look."

The older man chuckled. "Just call me Aaron. I'm glad things are going well between you and Shaun. He was so excited the other day just because you had kissed him on the cheek."

Leah giggled at that. "He's so sweet. I don't know what I did to deserve such a smart, sweet guy's attention. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to get to know him at a deeper level."

The old doctor smiled. "There is no one I would rather see Shaun with. I admit, I was worried when I heard he was interested in a woman. He's been bullied by girls most his life, for lack of masculinity. I began to doubt he would ever open himself up enough to find a partner."

"Lack of masculinity?" she questioned, confused. "He's very masculine; kind deep voice, strong personality, stubborn, smart, strong, honest, and everything else positive associated with being male. The only thing he lacks that some people find masculine is an asshole personality, and thinking with the wrong head. He's just my type."

A loud laugh escaped the old doctor as he brought his hand up to his chest. "That's wonderful to hear, but Shaun is at the check out. I better make myself scarce."

"See you later then, Aaron," she said with a wave. The older man waved back at her, before turning to stride out of the cafeteria.


	8. Pompous Ass

**Author's Note: Warning for some adult language. Thank you guys for the wonderful comments by the way. :)**  
 **Chapter 7: Pompous Ass**

Leah's eyes lazily moved around the cafeteria, watching the other inpatients with slight curiosity. Most of them were accompanied by a nurse, someone to escort them for a walk and be there if they needed anything. An older couple walked, arms linked, and the gentlemen was pulling along an IV roller. A couple children ran around the open area by the far windows, while the father sat watching them and chewing on his thumb nervously, constantly checking his phone. A few tables down from her, a young attractive man with a large cast on his leg, sat looking out the window. Their eyes locked, and just as she was about to look away, the man smiled and stood up. Grabbing his crutches, he hobbled over to her table. She groaned inwardly.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and had a 5 'o' clock shadow that darkened his chin and lower cheeks. In his hospital scrubs, it was easy to tell how bulky he was, and she automatically thought that he looked like he was on steroids. Probably was, she chuckled inwardly. His green eyes lit up as he gave her a cocky grin. "Hey there, the name's Ryan. Is this seat taken?"

"I'm Leah, and yeah, I'm afraid so. My boyfriend is just grabbing me some food," she said, trying to be blunt and obvious that she did not want his company.

"I hope you're not talking about that older doctor that was in here just a minute ago," Ryan chuckled, leaning his hip against the table. Instantly, Leah backed up her chair a few inches, and she leaned back in it to put some distance between her and the impossing stranger.

A fake laugh tumbled from her lips as she rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I'm dating a young surgical resident here, and I would appreciate it if you left me alone."

The guy's face darkened slightly, but the cocky grin remained. "I'd suggest you be nicer to a man when he's showing interest in you. A little bit of appreciation would be great. As for your _boyfriend_ , you couldn't be talking about that retarded guy who walked you in here earlier? You're kind of pretty, you can do better than a handicap."

A loud bang silenced the whole cafeteria, as Leah's chair slammed backwards into the ground. She had stood up so fast, that her chair had flew back and hit the tiles hard. Everyone's faces turned towards them, and Shaun froze a few steps away. He had caught the last half of the coversation, and had stopped in his tracks holding the tray, unsure of what he was supposed to do. The sound of Leah's chair hitting the ground shocked him from his stupor. He noticed that she was swaying slightly, and had grasped the table with her good hand. She had moved too fast and was probably hit with a pretty severe dizzy spell. Still, Leah stood tall and looked that man in the eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she snapped at him, angrier than she could remember being for a long time. The shock that registered on the guy's face gave her a firm sense of satisfaction. Everyone was silent, and she noticed in the corner that Shaun's doctor friends and Dr. Glassman stood watching what she was going to say next. "You don't get to come over here, and instantly assume that I'd be interested in your advances. You also do not get to come and insult my boyfriend."

Anger radiated off of Ryan. "You're a real bitch you know that? He's obviously to weak to keep such a whore on a leash. Retarded people shouldn't have girlfriends, because their too idiotic-"

A loud slap echoed across the room as Leah's good hand collided with his cheek. Her whole body was pulsing with anger, she didn't even register any pain in her hand as she slapped him. "What did I just say? You don't speak about him like that. That was a warning. Next time, I'll make sure I break bone." Venom laced her voice as she spat the words at him. What she didn't expect was for the guy to reach out to grab her. Her body stiffened as she realized that she was not going to be able to get out of the way quick enough.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she felt a set of hands grab her, but from the wrong direction. They pulled her sideways sharply, and then let go immediately. Eyes flying open, all she saw was Shaun's white coat back directly in front of her, as he had placed himself between her and Ryan. "Shaun..." she murmured quietly.

Shaun's whole body was rigid and tight, vibrating with nervous energy. He might have pulled her out of harms way but he was not confident. Leah could tell he was scared of the guy in front of him and the whole situation. Shaun wasn't violent, and didn't have it in him to be.

"She wants you to leave her alone, so go back to your room," Shaun said, his tone surprisingly firm.

Leah looked around desperately, and noticed that Dr. Melendez, Dr. Kalu, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Glassman were coming over swiftly. She thanked god that they were there, and had heard everything going on. Maybe Ryan would get his ass kicked out of the hospital.

"That's a fucking bitch you got for a girlfriend," Ryan said as he reached up to touch his reddening cheek.

"Don't call her that," Shaun said quickly. Before he could say more, Dr. Melendez darted between the two men.

"I'd suggest you go back to your room, before I have security toss you out of this hospital, injured or not," Dr. Melendez snapped, indicating to the door. Security was heading over, and the sight of them caused Ryan to deflate a bit.

"Whatever, bitch ain't worth it anyways," the guy said before he shuffled off on his crutches, security following behind him to make sure he went directly to his room. Leah slumped down in Shaun's chair hard, as she gagged. The dizzy spell was horrible from moving so fast to stand up, and now that the adrenaline was dying down, it was kicking her butt.

Everyone stood around her, staring at her. Shaun was the only one who finally got his brain working enough to rub her back and softly tell her to duck her head down and shut her eyes until it passed. Instantly, she did what he said.

"You did not need to stand up for me," Shaun said, almost in a disapproving tone.

A chuckled escaped her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Brain injuries sucked. So much. "Yeah I did. No one insults people I care about. If they do, they get hurt. Plain and simple."

"That's noble of you," Dr. Glassman said, as he shooed Melendez, Claire, and Jared away with a motion of his hands. The couple didn't need to be crowded right now. "But you really shouldn't put yourself in harms way just to verbally defend someone."

"It may not have been my brightest moment," Leah replied, coughing to try and cover up a gag. "The guy was a pompous ass. Hopefully, he learned something today."

Shaun grasped her hand that had slapped the guys cheek and gently flexed her fingers. "Nothing is broken, but it may be sore for a while."

"I'm sore all over anyways," she chuckled darkly. "That is a pain I'll accept with pride. Just wish I had hit him harder." Shaun and the old doctor shared a look before they glanced back at the tired woman.

"Go grab a wheelchair, Shaun," Dr. Glassman chimed in. "She's going to be too tired to walk back to her room."

Shaun nodded and left to go find one.


	9. Pensive Thinking

Chapter 8: Pensive Thinking

"I had to wonder if you were really interested in Shaun. You've done nothing but prove that you really care about him today. I know it means a lot to him, and it means a lot to me," Dr. Glassman said as he reached over to grab the tray of abandoned food that Shaun had dropped on a neighboring table. He held it out to her but she shook her head; her appetite had long since abandoned her.

"Did Shaun grow up with people degrading him like that?" Leah asked, looking up at the old doctor in what could be called shock. Her face was pale, and skin was clammy, her blood pressure elevated so much that she felt like her whole body was pulsating. To be honest, she felt moments away from a panic attack. At the doctor's regretful nod, she bit her lip and slammed her eyes shut. "I can't believe he had to grow up like that, and yet even with all those challenges, he still got his PhD, and kept his kind personality."

"Shaun never had it easy," Dr. Glassman said, exhaling loudly. This topic always took a toll on him. "His father was his first abuser; always told Shaun that there was something wrong with him. He received the same treatment at his school from his classmates and teachers. The only guardian angel in his life was his brother, who died way too soon. Shaun needed his brother for much longer than Steve had stayed."

Leah's stomach turned more. "His own father mistreated him?" her voice wavered slightly, but she swallowed her disapproval as Shaun walked through the doors, pushing a wheel chair in front of him. As she looked at the determination in his face, her heart automatically went out to him. The guy was sweet and harmless; how could so many people hurt such a kind person? The human race was truly disgusting. Shaking her head, she plastered on a grateful smile as he walked up to them.

"Thank you," she said softly as she stood up slowly, accepting Dr. Glassman's hand on her elbow as he guided her to the chair which Shaun held still in front of her. Sitting down, she leaned back on the soft-backed chair. "Are we going back to the room?"

"Yes," Shaun said. "Do you want your food?"

Before Leah could respond, Dr. Glassman chimed in. "I'll bring it to the room for her so she can eat it when her stomach settles."

Satisfied with his answer, Shaun nodded and proceeded to push her wheelchair in the direction of the room. Her skull was beginning to pound again, and the bright LED's of the hospital seemed to burn her eyes as they slowly moved down the hall of the massive hospital. She squinted her eyes and stared down at her hands in her lap, eager to get back to the room to have a nap and relax her body, which was still tense with stress from the days events.

Her whole frame felt like it was vibrating in the chair, and she really hoped Shaun was unable to notice it. She didn't need him worrying that her healing would slow because of the increased stress on her system today. Stupid Ryan for wrecking her happy day and what could have happened. Now she was going to be stuck in that blasted room for god-knows how long. Perhaps she would be released soon and she could get out of this cursed hopsital; she'd had enough of hospitals to last a lifetime after this.

They wheeled her into the room and helped her back into the bed. As she settled into the pristine white sheets and covered up her horrendously skinny legs, she lay back against the mound of fluffy pillows. Wordlessly, Shaun and a female nurse plugged her back up to all the monitors and machines. "Your bloodpressure and heart rate are elevated," Shaun said, tilting his head, almost confused.

"Still coming down from my anger at that guy, Ryan," Leah muttered. "I'll be fine in a few moments."

"You should eat something," Shaun suggested. "It will help."

"Later," Leah sighed. "I think I'm just going to sleep and reset everything." Her body felt exhausted, like it had worked overtime for hours instead of just simply standing and getting mad for five minutes. Her eyelids were starting to get heavy, and she knew she was looking at Dr. Glassman and Shaun with hooded eyes.

"That's a good idea," Dr. Glassman said as he lifted his hand behind Shaun, moving to guide him towards the door. "We'll let you sleep, and Shaun will be back tomorrow to check on you. In the meantime, I'll take him home so he can get cleaned up, have a good meal and also have a proper night's sleep."

"Perfect, thank you Dr. Glassman," she murmured. "I'll see you tomorrow Shaun."

"Ok," Shaun said. Surprising everyone, he scooted closer to the bed and seemed to contemplate something for a long moment. After his head nodded back a few times, and his hands fluttered around awkwardly, he made up his mind and grasped the metal bed post before leaning down and placing his lips to her forehead gingerly, before standing back up again. Nodding once again, he darted out of the room.

Dr. Glassman looked at the girl on the bed with red cheeks and chuckled with a knowing look gleaming in his eyes. "You two are so cute, it makes this old man queasy." Still laughing, he left the room, gently shutting the heavy room door behind him. Laughing quietly to herself, Leah shut her eyes and let her body relax into the soft bed. Exhaustion quickly took hold of her and pulled her under, into a dreamless sleep.

xxxx

The following morning, Leah was already wide awake and had just finished eating her stale muffin when the door opened. Dr. Brown walked in with a smile, holding a small carry bag. "Good morning Leah, how are you feeling?"

Leah returned the smile. "A lot better after a bit more sleep. Has Shaun come back yet?"

"Dr. Glassman sent me a message a while ago, he should be back at around 10 to sign you out and the two of them will bring you home. That's why I brought you..." her voice drawled off as she reached into her carry bag and pulled out a brown and white bundle of fluff.

"Miracle!" Leah exlaimed, reaching up to take the kitten from Claire. "I totally forgot about the little guy."

"Yeah, Shaun asked me to take care of him while he was busy looking after you. He's such a sweet kitten, Shaun is just going to love him," Claire beamed. The kind doctor then sat down beside her, and brushed her curly hair back out of her face. "That was a kind thing you did for Shaun, not very many would stand up for him like you did."

Pulling the tiny kitten to her chest, Leah looked pensively at the woman in front of her. "I don't know how he lives with people undermining him all the time; treating him poorly and making him feel less than everyone else. I wouldn't be able to cope. I'm glad he has you and Dr. Kalu here, he thinks very highly of both of you, even Dr. Melendez."

Claire smiled as she looked down at her hands. "We all doubted him in the beginning, thinking that there was no way he could perform at our level. Yet, he has surpassed all of us in my opinion. He truly cares about his patients, putting their wellbeing before even his boss's orders. Shaun spoke about you a lot, from the moment you guys met. You were always nice to him, and I think that was such a new experience for him."

"To be honest, I never even knew he had any limitations when I first met him. I had just thought he was a little shy and socially awkward, but I thought it made him cute. I still think he's extremely adorable." A chuckle escaped her as she thought for a few moments. "When I figured it out, and was told he also had savant syndrome, nothing changed. I was still just as intrigued about him. I really hope things work out. I'm scared that I'll do something that'll offend him or hurt him, and he'll be unable to talk to me about it."

"Shaun always finds a way to communicate what he's feelings, you just have to watch for the signals," Claire winked. "Well, I better get to work. Shaun should be here shortly to bust you out of here."

"Thank Dr. Brown," Leah grinned.

"Just Claire." Then the doctor ducked out the door and was gone, leaving Leah to her thoughts and the fuzzy little kitten in her lap that was batting at the wires attached to her.


End file.
